10 Natural Remedies For Eczema

It’s a toss up with “best cooker ever” . . .

But I think my favorite job title has to be “best boo-boo kisser south of Puckett’s station.” Getting paid in kisses is even better than compliments about my baking skills, you know?

But what do we do when kisses are not enough? For many who struggle with eczema (or whose children suffer from it), the answer seems to be obvious: topical steroids.

Unfortunately, they’re not actually recommended for long-term use. According to the National Eczema Foundation’s guidelines, they should not be used continuously for more than two weeks due to risk of dependency. Of course, in practice they’re often used much longer than that. So is this warning legitimate or frivolous, like those warnings not to swallow coat hangers?

Janelle Norman, whose skin peeled off when she weaned herself from steroid creams, urges us to take it seriously. “I looked in the mirror, and my face was gone,” she shares in this article about her story. (Warning: The photos are graphic.)

Available in both over-the-counter and prescription form, topical steroids and have been reported to create dependency even when used for less than two weeks, and according to some practitioners they’re more of a band-aid approach than a solution.

“Using cortisone cream to fix eczema is a bit like painting a rickety house that’s about to fall down. It makes it look better, and you may feel better for a short period of time – but ultimately the underlying issues must be healed,” writes Emily Bartlett, LaC, author of The Eczema Cure. (Source)

What is eczema?

Chris Kresser, LAc, writes that “most of you have heard of leaky gut by now, but what about ‘leaky skin’? The main function of the skin is to act as a physical, chemical and antimicrobial defense system. Studies have shown that both stress and gut inflammation can impair the integrity and protective function of the epidermal barrier. This in turn leads to a decrease in antimicrobial peptides produced in the skin, and an increase in the severity of infection and inflammation in the skin.” (source)

In other words, Kresser and many other researchers believe that eczema may sometimes be an expression of a gut imbalance. So what do we do with this information? Since boo-boo kisser is about as official as things get for me professionally I’ll leave that to you and your trusted healthcare provider. I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice, none of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA, and they are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Please see full disclaimer here if you need more convincing.

1. Probiotics

According to Chris Kresser, supporting balanced gut flora is helpful for nurturing skin health. (source) One of the most often suggested ways to go about this is by consuming fermented foods or a high-quality probiotic. (I use both a soil-based and lactic-acid based probiotic. Both are listed on my resources page.)

In addition to being taken internally, they can be directly applied to skin. “When you apply a probiotic directly it can actually act as a barrier because it’s competing with the bad bacteria from taking hold,” Whitney P. Bowe, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, told ABC News.

I have friends who have used both yogurt and kombucha scobys topically. Post on that coming soon! (Or eventually depending on your definition of soon.)

2. Add Foods That Support Gut Health

Healthy Fats & Essential Fatty Acids

According to this PubMed analysis, adding a GLA-rich oil such as evening primrose oil to the diet may be helpful. Many families have also reported that coconut oil was helpful for them, possibly because it is a rich source of immune-boosting lauric acid. Fish oils such as raw cod liver oil are also rich in high-quality essential fatty acids.

My favorite sources of pre-formed vitamin A (which preferred over it’s precursor, betacarotene, because many of us do not have the ability to convert it well) are raw cod liver oil and chicken liver. I took me awhile to get used to the idea of eating liver, but I’ve found ways to make it palatable for my family. This bacon and chicken liver pate and ultimate chili have both gotten great reviews, and my kids don’t gag when I give them the raw cod liver oil listed on my resources page.

Bone Broth & Grass-Fed Gelatin

According to Dr. Ernie Garcia, MD and The Paleo Mom Sarah Ballantyne, PhD, “Including glycine-rich foods like homemade bone broth and organ meat can help speed the healing of both the gut and the skin (glycine is an essential component of connective tissue and the extracellular matrix that acts as a scaffold for cells). ” Grass-fed gelatin is also rich in glycine and another beneficial amino acid, proline.

3. Remove Triggers

As important as it is to get the good stuff in, it’s equally important to remove inflammation causing foods. Here’s a list to consider.

4. Magnesium

Magnesium is thought to be helpful for a variety of reason. First, it is often called the “anti-stress” mineral, which may be helpful if you’ve found that one of your triggers is stress, whether emotional or physical in origin. This study also suggests that magnesium supports histamine regulation, which may be helpful because histamine plays a role in inflammatory response. (source)

5. Sunlight

While heat and sweating are generally avoided because they can exacerbate a flare, some research suggests that sunlight may be a beneficial complementary therapy. According to this study published in The Lancet, “Narrow-band UVB is an effective adjunctive treatment for moderate to severe atopic eczema, and the treatment is well tolerated by most patients.”

6. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Astringents such as apple cider vinegar or a salt + magnesium spray can be helpful for weeping eczema. For apple cider vinegar, it is usually suggested that individuals dilute it by adding 1 part purified water to 1 part apple cider vinegar. Those with very sensitive skin may need to dilute more.

7. Apply Barrier Moisturizers

According to this study, pediatric patients who were given extra virgin coconut oil topically had better clinical results than those who were given mineral oil. Other moisturizers that individuals have found helpful are tallow balm, tamanu oil, argan oil, shea butter and cocoa butter.

8. Switch To Non-Toxic Personal & Home Products

While not exactly a natural remedy, so many parents reported that changing personal/home care products made a difference for them that I felt it was worth including. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center article I mentioned earlier, common irritants that may exacerbate eczema include “wool, synthetic fibers, soaps and detergents, perfumes, cosmetics, lanolin, certain chemicals, such as chlorine and solvents (including mineral oil), cigarette smoke, dust, and sand.”

When I transitioned to natural personal care products, these are some of the first I prioritized:

Some individuals have reported that bath chemicals such as chlorine irritate their skin. A bath filter or vitamin C tablets can help neutralize chlorine. (The tablets I used before moving to a homestead with spring water are listed on my resources page.)

10. Herbs, Essential Oils & Hydrosols

Though not a cure by any means, when used properly essential oils can be very soothing to many types of irritated skin. We use lavender and tea tree in our bug bite balm, and plantain for our homemade first-aid ointment. Lavender, chamomile, helichrysum, cedarwood and geranium are all soothing.

Calendula salves are likewise soothing, and for those who cannot tolerate stronger formulations hydrosols might be a good option. (If you’re not familiar with hydrosols, they’re the flower water that is left over when essential oils are distilled. They have many of the same soothing qualities, but are considered milder.)

Have dietary/lifestyle changes helped you with your eczema symptoms? Please share them below!

(Note: If you are a representative of any company, please keep things general instead of mentioning specific products. For example, instead of “XYZ works wonders – email me for details!” please stick with “I used a lavender-based cream with good results.” I am ALL FOR entrepreneurial go-gettnerness, but I’m enacting this policy to prevent feelings from being hurt when one comment is not approved while others are due to the potential risk associated with certain products. Thank you for understanding, muah!)

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About Heather

Hi, I'm Mommypotamus. My mission is to help you put delicious, healthy meals on the table, find effective natural remedies for common complaints, make your own fuss-free personal care and home products, and save time and money in the process.

Reader Interactions

43 Comments

My daughters eczema was awful. She had scabs all over her body, especially around her face and neck. I tried all kinds of elimination diets because she was exclusively breasted. Nothing helped until we tried beef tallow after reading a Mommyptamus article. It was a miracle. Her skin is now beautiful and eczema free! Thanks!!!

My daughter gets eczema in cricks of her arms from having dairy. I found that giving her one or two spoons of elderberry syrup helps reduce the red bumps and itch immediately. Not sure why it does tho. Still trying to figure that part out.

This is the testimony of an 11yr old girl at a raw milk hearing — goes along with the whole “pro-biotic” thing. She eliminated processed food, wheat, and drinks plenty of raw milk. She has outstanding results!

The information you provide is great and spot on. I noticed with my daughter, the thing that helped most and that I can control, even as she enters teenagehood and wants to buy beauty products, was and is the laundry detergent. I began using a homemade detergent similar to the one in the Mommypotamus book and in two weeks we noticed a drastic difference in her skin without any other changes. My battle for her to use homemade body butters is ongoing. 😀

Another thing that we noticed in her case was that avocado oil cleared up a flare up fast, as in minutes/hours not days fast.

When she was younger and before I learned to make homemade products, we were able to avoid steroids and clear the flare ups almost as quickly by using an OTC eczema cream for babies with calendula.

I am so beyond frustrated. My daughter is almost 1 year and has had issue after issue with this. She has a spot on her ear that won’t go away and is weeping. And now is starting with spots on her head. She doesn’t tolerate dairy much (yogurt specifically), so we switched to goats milk. She doesn’t get baths often, and I’ve dabbled in diluted lavendar, eucalyptus mix in water.

How do you make an infant (almost toddler) take gelatin without a ton of sugar/juice? Any suggestions for my baby? I plan to try a few of these, but I’m not sure I want to try all at the same time.

My son has had moderate to severe eczema basically since birth and he’s now almost three. When it got the worst last year we went full bore with the gaps diet which made things significantly worse. His eczema spread and became very itchy, his mood changed and his sleeps went from gteat to horrible. After about three months we gave up. We switched to an almost no processed diet that is 95% organic. We have been seeing improvements but its still not gone and he flares way too often with summer being the worst. We apply a homeopathic cream when he does flare and a manuka honey cream daily. I want to find a solution but i keep coming up empty handed. It is more than frustrating.

Hi Quinna, I’m sure you have already come across this but just in case you haven’t I wanted to mention that the GAPS diet is rich in high-histamine fermented foods. From what I’ve read some people cannot tolerate the excess histamine, sometimes due to an underlying B-12 deficiency. In many cases, it seems that whole forms of B-12 are not absorbed due to methylation problems, and some parents report that methylated forms of B-12 work better. Sorry if this all sounds like gibberish, but I wanted to pass it along just in case it sparked an insight for you. I’ll be writing a post on this with more detail as soon as I can. (I’m still researching right now)

Thanks for the reply Heather! When he broke out in full body hives on day 19 of intro we knew it was histamine related. I’ve been looking into methylation like crazy for the last year or so but it is all so new that it is very confusing and there is not a lot of “help” when it comes to it. We have done genetic testing and hair mineral analysis but they still lead to dead ends. I’m looking into someone who is versed in all components and I’m hoping he can help us out. I need more sleep and i am so sad to have to tell my kiddo to stop itching when i know how hard it is to stop. Since he is so young and we cannot see or know the side effects from any treatment we try to play it safe. I haven’t heard of the B-12 (very suprising that I haven’t) so i’ll look into that.

You might try ‘Apis mellifica’ it’s a homeopathic remedy from Boron for bites and stings. I had a terrible case of dermatitis and just wanted to scratch my skin off. This saved me from myself until I could get it under control. The tablets can be given as is or can be crushed and dissolved in liquid.

Hi….I agree with Heather’s comments. I used to have chronic eczema until I went completely natural with my food. No additives/preservatives or denatured foods, ie nothing fermented and no protein powders or the like. Emphasis is on high magnesium food/low melatonin foods and good saturated fats, particularly coconut oil. Eat seasonally to keep our serotonin levels up (that means again, lots of magnesium, and as little melatonin foods as poss). The more simple (non processed) your food the better it is for you. I only occasionally get a wee flare up if I get lazy and stray (cheese is my weakness). Best thing then is Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar sprayed over the eczema. The idea being to kill the bacteria on the skin. Don’t put anything on that will feed it (creams etc). All other times I use shea butter to keep my skin moisturised and to act as a barrier against, I think, the chlorine and whatever in water. I really want to get a good filter to sort my water out. I have changed my protocol many times over the last couple of years until I worked out this way suits my eczema. I hope you can find something for your son. It is truly horrible.

Oh, I forgot to add. It took a while but I realised too that we have a slight mould problem in our (rented) house so I have put up bamboo bags to absorb the toxins and always make sure I drink heaps of white tea which is the THE most amazing anti-oxidant. I’m sure your son would benefit from this tea as his “water” drink (with some organic pure honey to sweeten). And another thing I can’t go without these days is turmeric which I take to ward off the threat of arthritis. I think this helps with my skin too. Lots of Indian curries with coconut milk/cream and turmeric and cooked in coconut oil – yum! and sooooo good for you.

I have eczema and am prone to fungal infections as well. I don’t know if theyre directly related, but when I’m good about my diet my ezcema flare ups are less frequent and my athlete’s foot subsides as well.

Would these tips help with psoriasis? My 3 year old has a couple of patches on his knees and his feet are extremely dry and cracked. His dad also has psoriasis on his scalp. Specifically, behind his ear and right at the hair line. His dad also has rosacea on his cheeks and nose,plus, acne so any tips with that are welcome. He currently has kenalog spray for his psoriasis for flare ups and a cyclene family med for the acne.

My two year old daughter has had eczema since birth and the constant scratching kept her skin ripped apart and damaged. I am against the use of steroid and was desperate to find a safe way to manage her skin problem. Unfortunately she was exposed to skin infection three times in the past year. As another course of antibiotics (last resort) is highly undesirable I decided to consult with a naturopath to explore ways to treat the root of the problem. From an elimination diet we found she is sensitive to dairy, amine and salicylate meaning 90%+ of the food is a trigger. Plus we looked into environmental side of things and found that the chemicals in toiletry are a problem too. After implementing dietary and lifestyle changes we can see significant improvement in her skin. I am so glad to see her having soft and supple skin like most other children have.

Your top 10 tips are great and some of them are similar to what we do in our management strategy. As she is on FAILSAFE diet unfortunately she would have to give the bone broth a miss until she outgrows the sensitivity (fingers crossed). Love your site and keep up the fabulous work.

I’m 40 and finally have my eczema “controlled” – meaning, it’s minimal, mostly during spring when pollen rate is high or once a month, when I have my menstruation. I live in Denmark and the doctors here are strict when it comes to topical steroids. I only put them on where it’s acute, otherwise, it’s a matter of knowing what triggers I have and avoid them.

Almost all that you mentioned – I’m living it. I’ve experienced magnesium baths and gotten UVB therapy when I was pregnant. I couldn’t take antihistamines nor use topical steroids then, so I was offered the aforementioned therapeutic methods. They work. I use non-toxic stuff (no make up at all) and absolutely no perfume which is a trigger.

Unfortunately we have many years of helping my daughter with this problem- it can take awhile for each individual to find the root beyond replenishing gut health. With my daughter her inflammation response became so over sensitive she actually changed allergies often and reacts very delayed so it’s hard to trail. Years later here is what helps her the very most- acupuncture, tallow balm, colloidal silver gel, gluten free, dairy and goat free with exception of fresh dairy kefir, sun or light therapy and no processes sugars. Her body can handle maple syrup, honey and even organic sucanat. Non gmo as she reacts to gmo food with high inflammatory response, may be the gmo or the spray they use… She takes b complex, soil based probiotic, anzstanxithin, d and k, zinc and homeopathic sulphur. We too have done the gaps diet and she did not respond well but she eats very clean, stays positive by focusing on what she can eat and do instead of what she can’t have like other kids her age! So that’s what we have found works 🙂 hope it gives anyone a few ideas or things to try. Keep searching, you can get it under control and healed! And I can’t count out prayer, we pray for her healing everyday, for God to lead us to answers and Drs that will help us too 🙂

i do think there is a larger gut related issue or food allergy, that i have yet to solve – but the outbreaks are not too bad – but when they act up (usually back of the knees) lanolin helps A LOT– gone in a day or so – some people say it makes eczema worse – so i hesitated for a long time to try it, so glad i did – nothing worked as well (lavender oil with jojoba coconut oil – they did nothing) – cant wait to truly solve the problem! thanks for some tips! thanks – especially the avocado oil – i will be sure to grab some to try it out –

When I gave birth last year, I had an emergency c-section and then contracted a potentially fatal bacterial superbug in my intestines. Gut health DECIMATED. I experienced a whole slew of issues as a result- organ failure (liver, which is as intrinsically tied to your immune system as your gut), severe depression, migraines, candida overgrowth, eczema…

Over the course of the past year I have made miraculous progress through major lifestyle changes, regular chiropractic adjustments (to get my body’s systems communicating properly again), a diet that’s basically AIP with no sugars (sugars eat the proteins in your gut before they can even make it to your brain), integrating regular use of essential oils and eliminating environmental and emotional stressors.

It takes 18 months to heal your gut from the moment you start the process. I am fifteen months in. The eczema is the last standing symptom of my health crisis. It’s also interesting to note that when your liver is stressed and unable to effectively do its job of filtering, the toxins will start pushing through your skin. So if you’re experiencing eczema, boils, hives, strange rashes, take a look at your liver health, too.

I am 54 and have had eczema for almost 17 years. It hasn’t been bad all those years at least not in major parts of my body, mostly on my eyes. That was then, but now for the last 10 years I have eczema on my arms, neck, and my back. It is uncomfortable most of the time. I did GAPS a number of years ago and the eczema went away for about a year and a half. GAPS was not easy so I resisted going back on it for a few years, but now I am on. I have been in the introductory stage about 40 days and there is some improvement. I do or have tried most everything you have suggested. Eczema is tough. I am hopeful being on GAPS will do it. I know it will take time. I feel for those I see with skin conditions worse then mine (Sad what people are suffering with).

Great tips! I have finally healed my long battle with eczema. I have been sharing my journey on my blog. I have found some lotions that my skin likes and did an elimination diet which really helped the healing process. I agree with probiotics too, I realized I wasn’t taking enough. My doctor upped my intake plus vitamin D was a huge for my skin .

My 6 month old had horrible eczema all over his body. I started taking cod liver oil (he was still nursing) and several times a day I applied silver shield, Aloe Vera, and California Baby calendula cream. I also stopped bathing every day and began using non toxic soap. The redness and swelling first disappeared but I could still see long strips down his back, stomach, and behind his legs where the eczema was. I took him to a pediatric dermatologist to make sure he was okay and she said I was taking beautiful care of his skin and to keep doing what I was doing. Soon after the eczema disappeared.

Hi TS! My daughter is suffering of severe eczema and I have been trying so many things. Could you please let me know what brand of Aloe Vera, which California Baby calendula cream and which silver shield you have purchased ? Also, did you have a protocol for this treatment ?

I am trying to find a solution to soothe her skin and we are working to detect what is causing internally.

My 6 month old had horrible eczema all over his body. I started taking cod liver oil (he was still nursing) and several times a day I applied a silver gel, Aloe Vera, and calendula cream. I also stopped bathing him every day and began using non toxic soap. The redness and swelling first disappeared but I could still see long strips down his back, stomach, and behind his legs where the eczema was. I took him to a pediatric dermatologist to make sure he was okay and she said I was taking beautiful care of his skin and to keep doing what I was doing. Soon after the eczema disappeared.

Oh goodie I have got books coming on Probiotic drinks etc so I will look forward to your recipes :o) I have dermographic skin and dermatitis. I find lanoline for a barrier, salt baths calms, oats calm in creams and soap. They stopped selling my oat soap bar so I tried using ground oats pre soaked with extra fat and ground up soap bars which worked well I am ready for the next sep now and waiting for the ingredients to try your soap bars and hoping to be able to add oats to your recipe. Oats are said to be good for eczema as well and should help in telling the difference between the soap and shampoo bar. Will you be selling your cleaning book in print form in the UK ?

Once I had a blood test done it was like a ton of bricks lifted off of me. The transition was tough but I focused on what they can eat instead of what they cant. No processed food and a whole lot more cooking. One of my kids has a problem with the sun, he wears hats and drink lots of water. Once he cools of the swelling in his face goes down.

I have a slight tendency to eczema, and rubbing the Made From Earth Lavender Lotion on the affected areas calms the inflammation within minutes. The Lavender does work ! Wonderful scent and the lotion itself, although extremely light and non-sticky, is very nourishing.

I have eczema and psoriasis and the only thing I use is the Made From Earth Valencia Orange Lotion – no eczema or psoriasis all month since I have been using it. Leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft without feeling greasy or heavy on my skin.

My daughter has had problems with psoriasis dermatitis and eczema for several years and has been to see several doctors with no success. after my friend lissa told me about foderma serum and trust This serum within one week had taken care of the little blisters and the rashes and her skin looks normal with the new skin growth. Best product we’ve ever tried. Anyone with skin problems needs this serum! A little goes a long way.

Hello! thanks for the tips! I’ve been suffering from eczema for 2 years now. For me, it has been really difficult to control it, especially the eczema that flares up on my cheeks, for everyone with the same problem the treatment that has helped me the most is Foderma, I hope this helps other people with the same problem as me!

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